stewardship

noun

stew·​ard·​ship ˈstü-ərd-ˌship How to pronounce stewardship (audio)
ˈstyü-;
ˈst(y)u̇rd-
1
: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward
2
: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something
especially : the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
stewardship of natural resources

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Good Stewardship

When stewardship first appeared in English during the Middle Ages, it functioned as a job description, denoting the office of a steward, or manager of a large household. Over the centuries, its range of reference spread to the oversight of law courts, employee unions, college dining halls, Masonic lodges, and many other organizations. In recent years, the long-established "management" sense of stewardship has evolved a positive meaning, “careful and responsible management.” This sense is commonly found nowadays in contexts such as “stewardship of the environment, the family business,” etc. It also occasionally appears as an adjective in phrases such as “stewardship fundraising" (that is, fundraising aimed at building good relationships with donors in order to keep them loyal).

Examples of stewardship in a Sentence

generally the dean left the day-to-day stewardship of the college to the assistant dean she believes that stewardship of the environment is everyone's responsibility
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His stewardship of the economy was once one of his and his party’s advantages, but the public no longer views it positively. Christian Paz, Vox, 2 May 2025 In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week, just 36 percent of respondents approved of Trump's economic stewardship—the lowest level across both of his presidential terms. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Taken together, the president’s words have rattled markets and shaken confidence in the administration’s stewardship of the economy. Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025 My civic involvement in Fort Worth centers on education, environmental stewardship, and community engagement. Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stewardship

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stewardship was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Stewardship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stewardship. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

stewardship

noun
stew·​ard·​ship ˈst(y)ü-ərd-ˌship How to pronounce stewardship (audio)
ˈst(y)u̇(-ə)rd-
1
: the office and duties of a steward
2
: the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
stewardship of our natural resources

More from Merriam-Webster on stewardship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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